Motion picture screen



Dec. 20, 1932. H. D. NORTH MOTION PICTURE SCREEN Filed Deu. 30, 193G'III E. m R

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'35 of the frame and liftedc'lear thereof by` a Molding strips 6 aresecured to the interior Patented Dec. 20, 1932 n i y l UNITED STATES,,PATE-NT 'or-FICE `HAROLD D. NORTH, F CLEVELAND, OHIO MOTIONPICTURE'SCREEN Application led Decembery 30, 1930. ySerial 110.505,50. i

The present invention relates to motion Fig. 2 is an end elevation ofthe screen; picture screens ,suitable for use with small F ig. 3 is avertical section taken on the line portable projecting machines such ascomindica-ted at 3 3 in Fig. l;A f monly used vfor e displaying motionpictures y "s .a bottom plan view of the elastic 5 in homes, schoolrooms `and the like, such retaining element on 'the `frame whichreleasscreens being commonly provided with speciably engages theshielding panel to hold the ally prepared reflecting surfaces in 'theform same in the frame; 'l of a thin more or lessfrangib'le coatingwhich Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line indishould be protectedagainst accidental cated at 5-5 in Fig. l;

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l0 scratching or marring in the'handling there- Fig. 6 is a sectiontaken on the line indi- 6@ of and against ,griming during the intervalscated at6-6 in Fig. l; y in which the screen is not in use. The screensupporting frame, as illus- The present invention has for its object totrated yin the accompanying drawing, is a provide a screen having amounting frame frame of rectangular form composed of stiles which isattractive in appearance, which is land upper land lower railsQand 3,and this G5 of simple and inexpensive construction' and frame is adaptedto be supported in upright which provides a housing for the screenproposition by means of a pair of pedestals 4 tecting the reflectingsurface -against vdamage each inthe form ofa bar pivoted intermediateand againstgriming byhandling or by colits ends to the bottom of therail 3 and 2D lection of dust thereon. adapted to be moved from aposition in which 7G A further object vis to provide a screen the .baris in the plane of the frame to a mounting frame in which the screen .isrig-idposition .in -which the bar extends at right ly supported andwhichis provided With .a angles to the frame, the pedestals, whenremovable shield for the screen in the form positioned at right `anglesto the frame, formof an o a ue anel which litsclosely within in astablesu ort for the frame. 5 i

P (1 P 4 h PP thek frame over'the reflecting 'surface of the f e screenproperconsists of a suitable screen, and further to provide means fordeplate 5 preferablyof metal having a coating tachably securing theshielding panel in the' of suitable yreflecting material applied to theframe infront of the screen and spaced therefront face thereof. Themetal plate 5 is from. held against the front face of a rigid backing Afurther obj ect is to provide a mounting panel 5 which -is secured tothe rear face of for the shielding panel within the frame such thesupporting frame, preferably with its that the panel may have a-closefit within the marginal edges flush with the outer edges of frame butmaybe swungout from the recess the stiles Vl and rails 2 and 3 of theframe.

single movement. faces of the stiles l and rails 2 and 3 closely Withthe above and other objects in view adjacent the plate 5 and a borderstrip 7 is the invention may be said to comprise the secured between themolding 6 and the plate portable motion picture yscreen as illustrated5, the border strip 7preferably projecting inin the accompanying drawinghereinafter de- Wardly a short kdistance rbeyond the inner scribed, andparticularly set forth in the apedges of the molding 6. yStrip 7 andmolding pended claims, together with such variations 6 together with thesupporting frame provide and modifications thereof as will be apparentaborder around the reflecting screen. to one skilled in the art to whichthe invenlThe molding 6 'is spaced inwardly from the tion appertains-` ifront face of the supporting frameandthe Reference should be had totheaccompany- Stiles `l and rails 2 and 3 of theframehave ing drawingforming a part of this specififlat inner faces between the forward edgesof cation, in which: n the molding strip 6 and the front face of theFig. v1 is a front elevation of a .screen enframe. Immediately infrontof the forward bodying the invention; edge of the molding strip 6 whichextends 100 across the interior of the frame at the bottom thereof, therail 3 is provided with a channel 8 extending throughout the lengththereof. The top rail 2 is provided on its under side and midway betweenits ends with a transverse recess 9 extending inwardly from the frontface of the rail to the molding in which is mounted an elastic retainingelement in the form of a. U-shaped spring 10, one arm of which lies onthe bottom of the recess and is secured by screws 11 to the rail 2.

In order to protect the screen during intervals in which the screen isnot in use, an opaque shielding panel 12 is provided which fits withinthe supporting frame forwardly of the molding strip 6 and which isreleasably held against the molding strips 6 which serve as spacerstrips for holding the shielding panel in a position spaced from thereflecting screen. On its outer face the shielding panel 12 is providedwith a marginal molding 13 which is positioned with its outer edgesflush with the edges of the panel along the top and along opposite endsof the panel. The molding 13, however, is spaced upwardly a shortdistance from the bottom edge of the panel as shown in Fig. 3 of thedrawing. The width of the shielding panel 12 corresponds to the interiorwidth of the frame while the height of the panel 12 is somewhat inexcess of the interior height of the frame. When the panel is in placein the frame the molding 13 across the bottom portion of the panel restson the top face of the bottom rail 3 and the projecting edge of thepanel extends into the channel 8. The panel 12 has a close fit betweenthe stiles 1 and very little clearance is necessary between the top ofthe panel and the top rail 2 of the frame to permit the panel to beentered into the recess of the frame by entering the lower edge of thepanel in the channel 8 and swinging the top of the panel inwardly, or tobe removed from the frame by swinging the top of the panel outwardly. Inentering the panel 12 into the frame and in withdrawing the panel fromthe frame the outer corner of the lower molding 13 provides a fulcrumupon which the panel pivots. This corner is spaced outwardly from thechannel 8 and can slide. outwardly as the upper edge of the panel isswung outwardly so that the channel 8 needs but slightly greater widththan the thickness of the panel 12. The upper edge of the panel 12 is ata considerable distance from the axis about which the panel swings sothat in moving through the small angle necessary to bring the top of thepanel clear of the top rail 2 of the frame, the top edge of the panelhas a very slight upward movement.

. Midway between the f ends thereof, the molding 13 at the top of thepanel 12 carriesy a stud 14 which may be the head of a screw secured tothe molding, and this stud engages with the free arm 15 of the U-shapedspring 10 as the anel is moved into the frame, engaging tie depression16 formed in said arm of the spring when the panel reaches its fullyentered position in engagement with the molding or spacing strips 6.

Adjacent op osite ends thereof, the molding 13 across t 1e top of thepanel 12 is provided with finger receiving notches or recesses 17 whichprovide means for grasping and pulling the top of the panel outwardly.When such a pull is exerted on the panel the ,elastic spring retainingelement 10 yields permitting the stud 14 to move outwardly and as thetop of the panel is moved outwardly the panel rocks about the frontcorner of the bottom molding strip 13 and the portion of the panelprojectin into channel 8 is moved upwardly' until t e top of the panelhas been shifted to a position clear of the top rail 2, whereuponcontinued movement of the panel causes the same to be lifted clrar ofthe screen supporting frame. As shown in Fi 4, the spring 10 taperstoward the end of t e outer arm 15 thereof so that access is provided tothe fastening screws 11 which secure the spring to the rail 2.

It will be apparent that the present invention provides a portablemotion picture screen in which the reflector is mounted in arigid'supporting frame and protected by a rigid bac ing panel, thefra-me bein also provided with a shielding panel whic has a close fittherein, so that the screen may be subjected to considerable rou h usagein handling and storing without amaging the fran ible reflecting surfaceof the screen, and t e screen may be stored for long periods of timewithout griming of the reflecting surface by accumulationsof dust.

It will further be apparent that the detachable shielding panel issecurely held in place in the frame since the entire panel and the panelretaining element lie entirely within the Vplane of the front face ofthe supporting frame, and any impact on the surface of the panel will betaken up by the rigid molding strips 6 which act as stops or spacersagainst which the panel rests and will not tend to dislodge the panelfrom the frame.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular form ofapparatus shown and described, and the particular procedure set forth,are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and thatvarious modifications of said apparatus and procedure can be madewithout departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A portable motion picture screen comprising a panel having areflecting screen on its front face, a frame secured to the margin ofsaid panel and forming a border for said screen, the bottom portion ofsaid frame havedge of the shielding panel for holding the same in placein the frame.

2. A portable motion picture screen co1n, y prismg a panel having areflecting surface on itsy frontrface, a frame secured to the margin ofsaid panel and forming a borderffor said panel of a width correspondingto the inte-y rior width of said frame and a height in excess of theheight of the frame, said panel tting in said frame outwardly of saidmolding with its lower edge insaid channel, and a yielding retainingelement carried by the frame and engaging with the upper edge of theshielding panel for holding the panel in engagement with said molding.

3. A portable motion picture screen comprising a panel having areflecting surface on its front face, a frame secured to the margin ofsaid panel and forming a border for said reflecting surface, said framehaving a molding around the interior thereof closely adjacent the paneland spaced from the front face of the frame, said frame having a channelextending across the bottom thereof alongL the forward edge of saidmolding, a shielding panel of a width corresponding to the interiorwidth of said frame and a height in excess of the height of the frame,said panel fitting in said frame outwardly of said molding with itslower edge in said channel, a marginal molding secured to the front faceof the shielding panel, the outer edges of which are flush with theedges of the panel along the sides and across the top of the panel andspaced from the edge of the panel across the bottom of the panel, a studprojecting from the outer edge of said moulding substantially midwaybetween the ends of the panel at the top thereof, and an elasticretaining element carried by the frame and engaging said stud to retainsaid shielding panel in the frame.

, 4. A portable motion picture screen comprising a panel having areflecting surface on its front face, a frame secured to the margin ofsaid panel and forming a border for said reflecting surface, said framehaving a molding around the interior thereof closely adjacent the paneland spaced from the front face of the frame, said frame having a channelextending across the bottom thereof along the forward edge of saidmolding, a shielding panel of a width corresponding to --thel interiorwidthof said frame and a height :in .excess -of the height of the frame,said panel fitti-ng in said frame outwardly of said molding with' itslower edge in said channel, a marginal molding secured to the front faceof the shielding panel, the outer edges of 'which are `flush with theedges of the panel along the sides and across the top of the panel andspaced from the edge of the panel across the bottom of the panel, a studprojecting from the outer edge of said moulding substantially midwaybetween the ends ofv the panela-t the top thereof, an elasticretaining-element carried by the frame and engaging said stud to retain1said shielding panel in the frame, and finger recesses in said moldingat the top of the panel between the center vand ends thereof.

5. A portable motion picture screen compri'sing a backing panel, a framesecured on the margin of the front face of said panel, and forming aforwardly projecting border, said frame having spacer strips on theinteriorthereof closely adjacent the panel, said strips being spacedinwardly from the front facev of the frame, a shielding panel fittingwithinr the frameoutwardly of said spacers, releasable means for holdingsaid shielding panel against said spacer strips, and a reflector lyingupon and covering the front face of the backing panel within said frame,said reflector being protected by the backing and shielding panels andbeing exposed upon removal of the shielding panel.

6. A portable motion picture screen comprising a backing panel, a framesecured on the margin of the front face of said panel, and forming aforwardly projecting border, said frame having spacer strips on theinterior thereof closely adjacent the panel, said strips beingspacedinwardly from the front face of the frame, said frame having a channelat one side thereof extending along the forward edge of a spacer strip,a shielding panel fitting Within the frame outwardly of the spacers andhaving one edge fitting in said channel, elastic retaining meanscarriedby the frame and engageable with the edge of the panel opposite thatreceived in said channel, and a reflector lying upon and covering thefront face of the backing panel within said frame, said reflector beingprotected by the backing and shielding panels and being exposed uponremoval of the shielding panel.

7. A portable lmotion picture screen comprising a panel having areflecting screen upon its front face, a frame secured to said panel andforming a forwardly projecting protective border for the screen, aremovable shielding panel for covering and .protecting said screen'fitting within the forward portion of said frame, stops on the interiorof the frame forwardly of the screen for yengagement with the marginaledges of they shielding panel, to space the same away from the screen,and means for releasably holding the shielding panel in place in theframe whereby the shielding panel may be readily removed to expose thescreen or be inserted into the frame to shield the screen.

8. A portable motion picture screen comprising a panel having areflecting Screen upon its front face, a frame secured to said panel andforming a forwardly projecting protective border for the screen, aremovable shielding panel for covering and protecting said screenfitting Within the forward portion of said frame, stops on the interiorof the frame forwardly of the screen for engagement with marginal edgesof the shielding panel to space the same from the screen, and retainingmeans engageable with a marginal edge of said shielding panel forholding said panel in place in the frame, said retaining means beingyieldable whereby said shielding panel may be readily lifted out of theframe to expose the screen.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

HAROLD D. NORTH.

